MASH Origins: Col Potter
by The people's Sgt
Summary: The adventures of Col. Potter in World War II. I just wanted to give the Colonel a background story. A prequel of sorts to my cross over story "Dr. Quinn, Army Doctor" Once again not canon. Please review and let me know how it works.
1. Chapter 1

MASH ORIGINS: COL. POTTER

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to MASH.**

**A/N: My take on Colonel Potter's wartime experiences as a doctor in World War II and how they shaped how he would run the MASH 4077****th**** in the Korean War. A prequel of sorts to my crossover story "Dr. Quinn, Army Doctor".**

Sunday December 7th 1941

Major Sherman T. Potter U.S. Army Medical Corps was sitting in his parlor at his home in base housing at Fort Benning when he found out about Pearl Harbor. His wife Mildred was cooking supper with the help of their daughter, Evy. The radio was on playing music when the announcer came on.

_Ladies and Gentleman we apologize for this interruption of our normal programming. We have just received news that the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii is under attack by Japanese aircraft. The attack began around eight o'clock Hawaiian time. There are no further details at this time._

Mildred Potter was now standing in the doorway of the parlor. "Pearl Harbor Sherman! That's Schofield Barracks. Martin Jacobson and wife Betty are there!" Major Martin Jacobson had been neighbors with the Potters till last year. The hospital at Schofield Barracks had been a dream assignment for the Jacobsons.

"Now Mildred, the man just mentioned the naval base. We'll just wait and see what else has happened in Hawaii." Sherman Potter told his wife.

"Dadddy are you going to the war now?" 16 year old Evelyn "Evy" Potter asked. She was a junior in High School.

"Evy your Father's a Soldier now. He goes where the Army tells him to." Mildred said. "Speaking of which I'll start getting your things together Sherman just in case." Mildred Potter was a practical woman. If her husband went to war she wanted him prepared.

November 1942

Casablanca, French Morocco

Sherman Potter was now in his second war. He was now chief surgeon for the 224th Field Hospital. The Army had pulled medical personnel from all over to create the 224th for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Major Potter was the only doctor to have been to war. The other surgeons were new to the Army having enlisted in the days following Pearl Harbor. That was why he was chief surgeon.

The 224th Field Hospital was born in the spring of 1942 as America geared up to go overseas and fight the Japanese and the Germans. Major Potter was busy taking care of the large influx of recruits flooding Fort Benning when he got his orders.

Mildred wasn't happy of course. But she took charge of the Potter household and told Sherman she was going home to Missouri after Evy finished High School next year.

"Your daughter will finish school here and start college in Hannibal this fall". She told her husband.

"Yes Mother" was all Sherman Potter said. Mildred had made up her mind.

The Philippines had fallen that spring and many of the Potter's old Army friends were now prisoners of war. Major Jacobson had survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor but was now in New Guinea where the Army was trying to stop the Japanese there.

Morocco wasn't too bad. The 224th came ashore and set up operations outside of Casablanca. No one had seen a German yet. They were out west in Tunisia running away from the British 8th Army. Rumor had it the fighting would be over by Christmas. The Doctors at the 224th passed the time buying souvenirs from the Arabs and drinking wine brought from French colonials. Sherman Potter brought Mildred and Evy some wooden camels for Christmas.

Tunisia, North Africa

March 1943

"Air Raid!" a medic shouted into the post-Op ward. Seconds later an air raid siren starting wailing. "Hell's bells" Major Potter swore to himself. These Air raids were starting become a daily occurrence.

The 224th had left Morocco at the beginning of 1943 and made its way to Tunisia. The weather had turned for the worse. It was cold and raining. Mud was everywhere. Who ever thought it got cold in the desert? In February the U.S. Army finally ran into the Germans or rather the Germans ran into them here in the mountains of Tunisia. The famous German General Rommel, "The Desert Fox" had attacked the Americans at a place called Kasserine Pass. It was the American's first real fight and they got kicked back 50 miles. The 224th Field Hospital learned how to pack up and leave in a hurry. During the retreat German aircraft bombed them. No one knew where their own Air Force was.

"Get the wounded under cover now" Major Potter shouted. Nurses and medics helped the wounded out of their cots and put them on the ground under mattresses. Minutes later there came the roar of airplane engines and the chatter of machine guns. Minutes later the ground shook as bombs exploded nearby.

Potter hit the dirt as the first bomb exploded. One of the nurses started screaming. It was Lieutenant Goldman, a short skinny girl from New Jersey, scared of her own shadow.

"Are you hurt Lieutenant" He yelled to the woman over her screaming. She didn't reply and kept on screaming.

Potter got up a dashed over to the woman, grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her."Calm down Woman, you have to stay calm for your patients. The Germans ain't bombing us; they're bombing the supply dump down the road."

Lt. Goldman had stopped screaming and stared at Major Potter with a blank look on her face. Another bomb went off. She started to scream but Potter cupped his hand over her mouth and said softly to her. "Now Goldman stop screaming like a banshee. I know you're scared girl but get a handle on yourself. If you got to scream then bite down on this and don't let them see you". He gestured to the wounded. Potter then pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to Goldman.

Another bomb went off in the distant. Lt. Goldman stuffed the handkerchief in her mouth and bit down with her eyes closed tight. She then opened her eyes and looked around. Major Potter was looking at her with a grin. "Works better than screaming now don't it".

"Yes sir" she mumbled. "Thank you sir" she mumbled again. Another bomb went off. Once again Goldman bit the handkerchief. After that she never screamed in an air raid again.


	2. Chapter 2

MASH Origins: Colonel Potter Chapter 2

Sicily

July 1943

The 224th Field Hospital made its second landing of the war, this time in Sicily. In May the Germans surrendered in Tunisia ending the fighting in North Africa. The Allies then crossed the Mediterrean and invaded Sicily. The hospital was set up in a lemon grove north of Gela. Once again they had to deal with the German Air Force, the _Luftwaffe_ trying to kill them with bombs. Casualties came in from the front in Jeeps, ambulances and even on the back of mules (Sicily had plenty of hills and few roads, so Sicilian mules were put to work).

Major Potter was taking a break from surgery enjoying a real canteen cup of lemonade courtesy of the lemon trees all around the hospital. It was then that one of the medics Private Schmidt came up to him.

"Sir we got a problem. There's some old Italian man raising a ruckus. He keeps pointing to the trees and then the tents and jabbering in eye-talian. Can you talk to him?"

"Private, do I look like I speak Italian? Wait a minute; get that new Lieutenant, Delvecchio. She's Italian, maybe she can talk to him."

"Will do sir" and the Private took off toward the hospital ward. Five minutes later Private Schmidt returned with 2nd Lieutenant Delvecchio, a nurse who had joined the 224th after the fighting in Tunisia ended. A short dark haired woman from New York, Lt. Delvecchio was proving to be a good nurse, calm under pressure.

"You needed me Major?" Lt. Delvecchio asked. "I got to warn you my Italian isn't that great".

"Well right now you're the best we can get on short notice." Major Potter told her.

They walked over to the edge of the camp where an old farmer was talking to or rather talking at an M.P. Sergeant on the edge of the camp. The MP saluted Major Potter and told him the situation.

"The old man came up a few minutes ago and starting jabbering away. He won't leave. He's got his family with him too." A few feet behind the old man was an old woman wearing a black shawl over her head, what seemed to be the standard uniform for old ladies in Sicily. With her were a younger woman and a small boy.

"Okay Sergeant we got it from here. Well Lieutenant start translating". Major Potter said.

Lt. Delvecchio talked to the old man. The old man's face lit up and he started laughing. He then said something else and the Lieutenant frowned.

"Well what did he say?" Potter said getting impatient.

"He said I sound my Italian's old fashioned. I sound like his grandmother. I can't help it my family's been in America too long."

"Get back to the main point Lieutenant. Ask him what he wants." Delvecchio talked to the old man again. The old man rambled on a minute then Delvecchio translated.

"He says this is his farm. We are camped out in his lemon trees. He loves Americans, but we're costing him money so he wants us to pay him rent but he will take a job instead."

"Horse Hockey!" Major Potter said with anger. Tell him the U.S. Army will compensate him later on, but right now we will not pay rent." The lieutenant translated.

"How about a job sir?" Lt. Delvecchio said. "The Army can give him a job can't it?"

"And what job might that be Lieutenant?" Potter replied. She asked the old man. He talked again and gestured to his family behind him. Delvecchio asked him something in Italian. The old man got excited and waved his family forward. They came up and the old woman started talking to the nurse. Delvecchio replied and everyone got excited and started a whole conversation.

"Lieutenant now what are you talking about? We don't have all day we both have to get back to the hospital." Potter said with irritation.

"The old man says his wife and daughter can work in the kitchen. They can help with the laundry too. The old man and his grandson can clean up around the hospital. The old woman says asked what I did here and where I came from in the states. I told him I was a nurse from New York City. They say they got family there. I told them I would put a good word in for them with you for a job. So what do you say sir?"

" Lieutenant let me remind you we are not running an employment agency here. But if we give them a job will they leave us alone?" Potter asked calming down now.

Delvecchio translated and got a reply. "Sure sir but he asks us to stop eating up his lemons"

"Damn. I was afraid of that. I'll talk to the Colonel and get them hired". Potter then left to find the hospital's commander Lieutenant Colonel Coleman. He approved and the old man's family named Brazzi started helping around the hospital until the 224th moved north as the fighting shifted across the island and Lt. Delvecchio became the official spokesperson of the 224th in Sicily.

**Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to the real "Lt. Delvecchio" who is neither a nurse or in the Army and as far as I know doesn't speak Italian.**


	3. Chapter 3

MASH Origins: Col Potter Chapter 3

Ardennes Forest, Belgium

December 1944

Lieutenant Colonel Sherman Potter was trying to keep warm as he finished operating on a soldier's chest. Sherman Potter was now commanding officer of the 54th Field Hospital. The 224th Field Hospital had left Sicily in October 1943 for England to prepare for the invasion of France. While in England Major Potter was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of his own hospital.

The 54th Field Hospital was brand new, fresh from the states. The Army had added some veterans to it so there would be some kind of experience in the unit. The newly promoted Captain Goldman came with LtCol. Potter as his head nurse. Lt. Delvecchio had been left behind in Italy assigned to a hospital in Naples because she spoke Italian (which had improved over time).

The 54th Field Hospital landed in France in September 1944 4 months after D-Day and made their way to Belgium. The trip across France brought both good and bad memories for LtCol. Potter. It was his second time being in France having been there in WWI. The 54th was now set up on a Belgian Farm and getting ready for Christmas.

"Okay nurse go ahead and finish closing for me" Potter said to his nurse. He stepped away from the table and walked over to a small heater that was doing a lousy job of keeping the surgical tent warm. It was then that the Hospital's First Sergeant, 1stSgt Rolfe walked in.

"Sir I got bad news. We just received a message from HQ. We gotta move. That German breakthrough just got worse. We got Tanks headed this way. I already told the XO (executive officer). The camp's started packing up."

"Oh Buffalo burps" Potter swore. "And where does HQ want us to move too 1stSgt?"

"About Ten miles west of here sir. Whole Division is pulling back." As if on cue artillery started rumbling in the distance. "Well let's get moving Potter said. _It's North Africa all over again"_ Potter thought to himself.

By the time the 54th Field Hospital was ready to roll, the artillery fire was closer. LtCol. Potter climbed into the lead jeep and led the hospital convoy toward the west. They spent all day on the road before stopping at another farm and setting up operations again. At Dawn the first casualties came in, frightened men telling tales of endless columns of German tanks. A rumor started going on the hospital that the Germans had massacred some G.I. at a place called Malmedy. There was also a rumor that there were Germans disguised as American soldiers behind the lines. Potter past word for everyone to be vigilant.

LtCol Potter was walking to the latrine at night when he heard one of guards questioning someone. Potter ran over to the guard to see what was going on.

"Okay if you're a G.I. what state you from?" The Guard asked a soldier Potter had never seen before around the hospital.

"Missouri, Hannibal Missouri" the man said. Potter whispered to the guard, "I'll take care of this".

"Okay Soldier if you're from Hannibal, name a street there".

"Sycamore Street" The soldier said. It was the street Mildred and Evy now lived on with Mildred's sister.

"What's your address? Potter asked. The Soldier replied "5112 Sycamore Street." Mildred's address was 5109 Sycamore Street. The guard whispered to Potter "Sir, he could have got that off some G.I.'s letter".

"You're right. I got the perfect question for him." Potter asked him "Who lives in the house at 5112 Sycamore?" The man quickly replied "Some mean lady named Bertha Wallace always yelling at us when were kids to stay off of her grass and her sister Mrs. Potter, a nice lady with a cute daughter.

"Stop right there soldier advance and be recognized." The soldier stepped forward. He was a young kid. "You passed. I'm Mr. Potter and mind your comments about my daughter."

The guard look at his commanding officer in awe. "Geez sir what a small world"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. I might do another Origins story for another character on request.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**A/N: This chapter is inspired by the episode "Your Hit Parade." **

Fort Dix New Jersey

January 1946

Lieutenant Colonel Sherman Potter was now at Fort Dix.

The war in Europe ended in May 1945 with Sherman's unit, the 54th Field Hospital in Germany treating recently liberated prisoners of war. The hospital was slated to get transferred to the Pacific for the upcoming invasion of Japan but in August 1945 the Air Force dropped the atomic bomb and the war ended.

After being overseas since 1942, Sherman finally sailed back to the states in November and found himself stationed at Fort Dix conducting final physicals on other returning G.I.s waiting to get discharged.

In the new year of 1946 Sherman found out he was being promoted to full Colonel and would be taking over an Administrative position at Fort Dix.

Mildred Potter moved east to Fort Dix. The Potter's daughter Evy stayed in Missouri where she was attending college.

Some of Sherman's buddies decided he should celebrate his upcoming promotion by taking a trip to New York. They suggested seeing Les Brown and his orchestra perform.

"Come on Sherm, this time last year we were in Belgium freezing our asses off now here we are across the river from New York City. Let's go have a good time". LtCol. Wally Sable said. He was a fellow surgeon who had served with Potter from France to Germany.

"Well to be honest Mildred won't be here for a few more weeks so I guess it won't hurt." Sherman replied.

Saturday morning Potter, Sable and some other officers caught the train for New York City. On the train Dr. Sable showed Sherman a picture of his daughter back home.

"Can you believe it my little girl is going to be graduating high school this year. She wants to be a nurse. Well I'll be home for her graduation." The doctor said.

"I missed Evy's graduation. It was during the summer of '42". Sherman said with a bit of sadness.

The train pulled into Grand Central Station and the officers found a hotel. Sherman changed into his best uniform, an Eisenhower Jacket and officer's pink trousers he had made by a tailor in London before D-Day. The last time he had worn the uniform was on a weekend pass in Paris.

Club Copacabana

New York City

The Copacabana was jammed packed on a Saturday night.

There was a long line of people waiting to get in but the Army officers simply walked to the head of the line. A member of their party, Major Spangler told the doorman that "Col. Potter had been the official U.S. Army medical officer who confirmed that Hitler was dead". This impressed the doorman and he let them go right in.

The group had to wait for a table to be made available so they headed to the bar. A drunken Air Force Captain was causing a stir at the bar. Sherman noticed he wore the patch of the 8th Air Force a unit he remembered from his stay in England.

"Just because the war's over doesn't mean we should forget. It's time for people to know the truth buddy" the Captain was talking to a pissed off looking bartender. The Captain was accompanied by another Captain and two scared looking women.

"I was flying over Germany back in the old days when we didn't have any help from them fancy fighter pilots. I done my time, 50 missions all together." The Captain was saying. "I'm lucky to be alive right now."

Another bartender noticed Sherman Potter's uniform and came over to him.

"Sir, I noticed you're a Colonel. Can you take care of the flyboy there, get him to shut up. I don't want to have him thrown out. I'm a veteran too from the Great War. I don't want to cause trouble for another veteran." The bartender told Sherman.

"No problem. I was a Doughboy in WWI too. I'll take care of him."

Sherman walked over to the Captain. "Look son you gotta settle down now. We all done our part in the war. I was there from North Africa to Germany but these folks don't understand. You're scaring them".

The Captain noticed Potter's rank and medical insignia. "Sorry Colonel Sir. Hey you a doctor? A doctor once saved my sorry butt after a mission to Frankfurt. Flak got me during the bomb run. He told me if it weren't for the cold at them altitudes I would have bled to death. For you Doc, I'll shut up."

Potter turned to Major Spangler. "Spangler get another table for the Captain and his friends. Have them send a big pot of coffee to his table _comprende_?

"You got it sir" and with that the Major dashed off through the crowd.

30 minutes later everyone was seated and ordering dinner. The Air Force Captain's friends followed doctor's orders and were making him drink coffee. The Captain whose name was Davenport was still talking about the war.

"To hell with Jimmy Doolittle. That son of bitch didn't fly no missions with us" he said.

It was after dinner arrived when Sherman Potter saw the other love of his life.

He had never admitted it but when he first saw Mildred it wasn't true love at first sight, but when he saw the blonde walking across the dance floor he thought he had found his true love.

Sherman just happened to look up from his steak when he saw a young blonde woman gliding across the dance floor. She seemed to be glowing. At the sight of her he forgot all about Mildred.

"Sherman you all right, you look like you just seen a ghost". Wally Sable said. To Sherman his voice seemed far away.

"Not a ghost Wally I think I just seen an angel" Sherman said in a low voice.

A female singer started singing "_Sentimental Journey" _the current hit of 1946. Sherman looked at the stage and reality set in.

The singer was Doris Day and Sherman Potter realized that the beautiful blonde he saw on the dance floor was Miss Day herself.

"Well I'll be damned." Sherman said out loud. The sound in the room suddenly returned to noble. Doris Day lost the glow around her that only Sherman saw.

"What the hell is wrong with you Sherman? You had the thousand yard stare. You getting battle wacky like that Air Force guy?" Wally asked.

Sherman takes one last look at Doris Day and begins to feel guilty. _"Stupid old fool. She's old enough to be your daughter whom you have along with her mother your wife" _He thinks to himself.

"Yeah Wally, I guess I am getting a little wacky. I saw a girl in the crowd that reminded me of one our nurses in North Africa and it brought back some old memories". Sherman lied to his friend.

Two weeks later Mildred Potter arrived at Fort Dix. The Potters went to New York City only one time and Sherman did not take his wife to the Copacabana.


End file.
